Article-securing device

ABSTRACT

A device for holding a container or the like to a mounting base of a supporting base, located within another container, for example, includes a bolt member which is mounted for rotation on the base plate and which may be operated by a hand lever extending outwardly therefrom. The upper end of the bolt is provided with a widened head portion of oblong configuration having a long end which is normally oriented so that it will align with a long end of a socket or receiving member which is defined at the lower end of the container or article to be anchored. The head portion advantageously comprises two parts including an upper head and a lower disc shaped part having end faces which are congruent to the underside of the upper part. The lower part is advantageously rotatably mounted on the pin but includes a surface which frictionally engages the pin. Rotation of the hand lever after the oblong outline of the head portion is aligned with the receiving slot of the socket of the article to be fixed will pivot the bolt with the oblong head within the socket receiving portion so that the oblong portion extends across the receiving slot and anchors the article to the supporting base. The lower part of the head will pivot with the bolt only if the wall bordering the socket slot is thin enough so that it will not block its pivoting. If the wall is thicker it will block the lower part so that only the upper part will move with the bolt.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Theodor Georgi AppenzelI-Steinegg,Switzerland [21] Appl. No. 810,117 [22] Filed Mar. 25, 1969 [45]Patented July 20,1971 [73] Assignee Firma Jost-Werke G.m.b.H.

Frankfurt/Main, Germany [32] Priority Apr. 2, 1968 [33] Germany [31]P17551303 [54] ARTICLE-SECURING DEVICE 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 24/221, 296/35 [51] Int. Cl A44b 17/00 [50] FieldofSearch.... ..24/221, 221 K, 221 L, 221.2, 230 TC; 287/2, 103,103 A;105/366, 366.4; 296/351 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS3,074,519 l/1963 Soeder 24/221 X 3,111,341 11/1963 Fujioka et al. 296/353,317,219 5/1967 Hindin et a1. 296/35 X 3,363,803 H1968 Abolins 296/35 X3,389,663 6/1968 Gutridge 105/366 3,456,967 7/1969 Tantlinger et al24/21 X n 13,s93,3s7

3,486,787 12/ l 969 Campbell ABSTRACT: A device for holding a containeror the like to a mounting base of a supporting base, located withinanother container, for example, includes a bolt member which is mountedfor rotation on the base plate and which may be operated by a hand leverextending outwardly therefrom. The upper end of the bolt is providedwith a widened head portion of oblong configuration having a long endwhich is normally oriented so that it will align with a long end of asocket or receiving member which is defined at the lower end of thecontainer or article to be anchored. The head portion advantageouslycomprises two parts including an upper head and a lower disc shaped parthaving end faces which are congruent to the underside of the upper part.The lower part is advantageously rotatably mounted on the pin butincludes a surface which frictionally engages the pin. Rotation of thehand lever after the oblong outline of the head portion is aligned withthe receiving slot of the socket of the article to be fixed will pivotthe bolt with the oblong head within the socket receiving portion sothat the oblong portion extends across the receiving slot and anchorsthe article to the supporting base. The lower part of the head willpivot with the bolt only if the wall bordering the socket slot is thinenough so that it will not block its pivoting. If the wall is thicker itwill block the lower part so that only the upper part will move with thebolt.

ARTICLE-SECURING DEVICE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relatesin general to the construction of devices for securing articles to areceiving platformor base, and in particular, to a new andusefulrotatable bolt device which includes a headportion which is adapted toproject upwardly from a receiving base and which is of a configurationto pass through an oblong receiving socket, and including a lever memberattached to the bolt for rotating the head portion to position it acrossthe slot of the receiving socket to hold the article to the supportingbase.

The present invention is particularly applicable for securing articlessuch as containers to a baseplate. With devices of this nature it isusual to provide a rotatable part such as a bolt which includes anoblong upper extension or head which may be positioned into an oblongreceiving slot of the article or container to be anchored and thenrotated so that the oblong head portion will be positioned across theslot and thus hold the part to the baseplate. With arrangements of thisnature it is necessary to manufacture the oblong head and the bolt sothat the head will be dimensioned above the supporting base at a heightwhich corresponds to the thickness of the wall of the receiving socketsof the articles which are, to besupported, However, there are containersin use which have-standardized securing socket inserts of two differentwallthicknesses. If, as would be desireable for reasons of economy, asingle-bolt-type construction is employed, the height of the lower endof the oblong head above the base. must beat least sufficient so thatwhen the head is rotated it would clear the walls of all of the knownsockets which are to be employed. This would have the disadvantage,however, that when the bolthead is used. to cooperate with a sockethaving a relatively thin wall and which requires only a short height ofthe head that the container would not be held on the supporting basefirmly-but would wobble in its secured position.

in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an improvedconstruction of securing device which includes a rotatable bolt whichmay be actuated by alever extending outwardly therefrom and whichcarries an oblong head portion which projects upwardly above asecuringbase. The construction includes a head portion of twoparts including anupper part and a disc-shaped lower parthaving endfaces which arecongruent with the underside of the upper part and which isrotatably'mounted on the pin but has a frictional contact therewith. Thedisc thickness therefor corresponds to the difference in thickness ofthe receiving socket plates of the two common standardizedcontaineresocket elements. When the device is used with socket having athin wall the upper head portion will rotate with the bolt along withthe lowerdisc por tiondue to the frictional contactofthe lower discportion with the pin and thus the upper and lower portions will remainin their congruent relationship and theoblong upper. head portionwill.engageacrossa-slot of thereceiving socket at the" desired. heightcorresponding to thethickness of the wall of the-receivingsocket. In thecase of: the thinwall socket the entire-head portion including the upperand lower portions will engage over the thin wall of the socket and holdthe article without wobble to the base plate.

In the case of a-receiving socket which hasa relatively thick wall thelower portion of the head is blocked by the wall of the receiving socketand thus cannot rotate with the upper portion of the head. so that thereis a relative sliding movement betweenthe upper and the lowerportionsand'only the upper portions ofthe head pivotswiththe bolt andthisportion alone engages over the thick wall ofthe receiving socket andthus holds the, article to the base without any wobble.

In accordance with a further development of the invention, the lowerportion is frictionally engaged-with the rotatable pin or bolt by meansof a coil spring acting against wall which bears between the lowerportion of the head and the bolt at the location of-a receiving detentor recess. In addition, the undersides of the lower and upper portionsof the head advantageously include inclined or oblique surfaces whichpermit relative runup of the upper portion relative on thearticlereceiving slot wall and ensures wedge locking of the containersocket to the base even through the socket is not positioned flushagainst the mounting base of the carrier, for example, in the case wherethe mounting base or the receiving container is warped due to roughhandling.

This invention is an improvement over the rotating-bolttype clampingdevice which includes a spiral compression spring which operatesin-cooperation with wedge inclines. In the prior art construction thecompression spring must transmit the holding force to the container andit must be designed relatively large and strong to accomplish this task.The matching wedge inclines are located under the base plate. This makesthe axial installed length of the known rotating bolt arrangementsgreater than the installation dimension usually available under avehicle frame carrier. In addition, it is difficult to actuate suchdevices than it is to turn the actuating 1 lever.

With the present invention it is possible to provide a very easyoperation of the actuating bolt by forming the ba seplate of an innerand outer part. Such parts will form a prismatic guide in relation toeach other with a guide profile which is preferably tapered on the edgeside. When the container is deposited each rotating bolt canautomatically center itself without difficulty in the respective socketopening through which the head portion extends; The head portion isadvantageously made of a roof-shapedconfi'guration because the prismaticguide surfaces permits the centering movement of the head.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide-an improvedsecuring device for anchoring elements to a mounting base which includesa rotatable bolt element having a head portion which includes an upperportion'and a lower portion having abutting surfaces which arecongruent, the lower portion being frictionally engageable with therotatable bolt and the upper portion being affixed thereto so that whenthe bolt is rotated both portions will normally rotate therewith but thelower portion may be blocked in those instances in which the receivingsurface is sufficiently high-so that engagement with the upper portionalone becomes desireable.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for holdingarticles to a mounting base or other support which includes means foraccommodating the holding device to the thicknessof a wall of areceiving socket in order that thearticle-may be held-firmly withoutwobble regardless of the type of receiving socket which is employed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a securingdeviceforholding articles to a supporting base which is simple indesign, rugged in construction, andeconomical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which-characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and-forming apart of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there areillustrated and described'preferred embodimentsof the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG 1 is a partial elevational and partial sectional view of a securingdevice constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial elevational and partial transverse sectional viewthrough the socket of an article to be supported on the base;

FIG. 3 is a partial top plan view of the article indicated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but with an article having areceiving socket of less thickness; and

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to thedrawings, in particular, the invention embodied therein comprises asecuring device generally designated 1 which includes a pin 7 which isrotatably mounted in a baseplate l and which may be rotated by means ofa lever 11 secured to a projection thereof at the underside of thebaseplate in an excessible position on a frame carrier 9. The baseplate10 includes a guide collar 8 which extends upwardly therefrom andsurrounds the lower portion of the pin 7.

In accordance with the invention an oblong head generally designated 17is carried on the pin 7 at the upper end thereof for rotation therewith.In accordance with a feature ofthe invention, the head 17 includes anupper portion 170 which is affixed to the pin for rotation therewith andlower portion or disc 12 which is frictionally engaged with the pin 7and which may rotate therewith but which may be blocked against rotationso that it does not. In the embodiment shown, the frictional engagementof the disc 12 with the pin 7 is accomplished by a ball 13 which engageswithin a detent or blind hole 16 of the disc 12. The ball is carried ina hole of the pin 7 and it is urged outwardly by a spring 14 to engagein the detent recess 16 at a location at which the configuration of thedisc 12 and the upper part 17a is aligned with the configuration of thelowermost guide collar 8 of the base 10.

The securing device 1 of the invention thus may be used to hold anarticle such as a container 2 which has a receiving socket with arelatively thin wall at the location of an uptake 3 or with a socket 6having a relatively thick wall at the location of an uptake 4 as shownin FIG. 2.

When a container 2 is to be mounted on a base ofa carrier frame 9 it isoriented as indicated in FIG. 5 such that a comer socket 5 thereof islocated over the baseplate l0 and an oblong uptake slot 3, 4, thereof isoriented to align with the oblong head 17a, disc-shaped lower part 12,and guide collar 8. When the container 2 is lowered the head 1 movesthrough the uptake slot 3 or 4 in accordance with which of the sockets 5or 6 is employed.

In the event ofa thick wall uptake 4 the height of the wall of theuptake is great enough to prevent rotation of the discshaped lower part12 of the head 17 so that only the upper part [70 rotates when the boltor pin 7 is rotated by the movement of the lever ll. This means that thelower portion of the upper part 17a will move to a position at which itoverlies the interior or top of the lower wall of the socket 6, and willthus hold the container to the base 10 without any wobble. The upperpart 17a may be moved by rotating the lever 11 with little effort.

In the arrangement indicated in FIG. 4, when a socket 5 having a thinwall uptake 3 is employed, rotation of the bolt 7 by the lever II willcause frictional contact of the disc-shaped lower part 12 with the boltand rotation along therewith so that the whole head portion includingthe upper part 17a and the lower part 12, is shifted to a position whichit extends across the uptake slot 3. Thus the head 17 in the arrangementof FIG. 4, has a lower surface which actually is the surface of the discportion 12 and which engages over the top of the lower wall at theuptake slot 3 of the socket 5 without any substantial play and holds thecontainer 2 firmly in position even though the wall of the uptake isrelatively thin.

Should the container 2 be warped and therefore not stand snugly on theframe carrier 9 of the truck vehicle after it is lowered onto the framecarrier, then the socket 6 or the socket 5 whichever is used, may notnormally rest directly against the base 10. Nevertheless, with theinvention construction, the securing device 1 will firmly press thesocket down to the frame carrier. This is accomplished by the runupincline l8 which is defi ned on the underside of the head ortion 17a orby a similar incline l9 defined on the undersi e of the lower part 12.The inclines l8 and 19 are shaped such that the associated part of thehead 17 will be permitted togradually engage over the top of the walladjacent the uptake slot 3 or 4 until a tight seating of the head partis effected and this will cause a gradual pulling down of the containeronto the base 10.

In order to accommodate inaccuracies of the centering of the sockets thebaseplate I0 is advantageously constructed so that it may be shifted inrespect to the carrier 9 on a dovetailed guide (not shown). The pivotingof the head portion and 12 back to an original position is facilitatedby matching end abutments 20 defined on the ring collar 8 and the lowerhead part 12 which engage with opposite respective undercuts of thelower or upper head parts.

What I claim is:

l. A device for holding an article to a receiving base such as acontainer having a socket with a wall having an oblong receiving slotfor holding the article to the base, comprising a bolt adapted to berotatably mounted on the receiving base and to project upwardlytherefrom, and an oblong head carried at the upper end of said bolt andincluding an upper portion afiixed to said bolt for rotation therewithafter it is positioned in the receiving slot of the container to engageacross the top of the socket wall receiving slot, and a lower portion ofpredetermined thickness frictionally engaged with said bolt for rotationtherewith to be position below the head portion across thesocket-wall-receiving slot but being capable of being blocked by thewall of those receiving slots over predetermined thickness so that itwill not be rotated with said bolt in which event the upper head portionalong will engage across the top of the socket-wall-receiving slot.

2. A device, according to claim 1, herein said frictional engagement ofsaid lower head portion with said bolt includes a ball ratchet bearingbetween said lower portion and said bolt and a detent receiving saidwall, and spring means urging said ball into said detent forfrictionally holding said lower portion to said bolt for rotationtherewith.

3. A device, according to claim 1, wherein said upper portion and saidlower portions of said head includes an undersurface at least one ofwhich has an oblique portion defining a runup surface permitting wedgingengagement of said undersurface over the socket wall defining the oblongslot of the receiving socket ofthe container.

4. A device, according to claim 1, including a socket adapted to beconnected to an article to be secured to the base having an oblong slottherethrough, said slot being defined in a wall of said socket ofpredetermined thickness.

5. A device, according to claim 4, wherein said wall of redeterminedthickness is of a height such that it extends above the basesufficiently to engage said lower portion and hold said lower portionagainst rotation with said bolt.

6. A device, according to claim 4, wherein said wall of predeterminedthickness is such that it is lower than the bottom of the lower portionof said head above said base.

1. A device for holding an article to a receiving base such as acontainer having a socket with a wall having an oblong receiving slotfor holding the article to the base, comprising a bolt adapted to berotatably mounted on the receiving base and to project upwardlytherefrom, and an oblong head carried at the upper end of said bolt andincluding an upper portion affixed to said bolt for rotation therewithafter it is positioned in the receiving slot of the container to engageacross the top of the socket wall receiving slot, and a lower portion ofpredetermined thickness frictionally engaged with said bolt for rotationTherewith to be position below the head portion across thesocket-wall-receiving slot but being capable of being blocked by thewall of those receiving slots over predetermined thickness so that itwill not be rotated with said bolt in which event the upper head portionalong will engage across the top of the socket-wall-receiving slot.
 2. Adevice, according to claim 1, herein said frictional engagement of saidlower head portion with said bolt includes a ball ratchet bearingbetween said lower portion and said bolt and a detent receiving saidwall, and spring means urging said ball into said detent forfrictionally holding said lower portion to said bolt for rotationtherewith.
 3. A device, according to claim 1, wherein said upper portionand said lower portions of said head includes an undersurface at leastone of which has an oblique portion defining a runup surface permittingwedging engagement of said undersurface over the socket wall definingthe oblong slot of the receiving socket of the container.
 4. A device,according to claim 1, including a socket adapted to be connected to anarticle to be secured to the base having an oblong slot therethrough,said slot being defined in a wall of said socket of predeterminedthickness.
 5. A device, according to claim 4, wherein said wall ofpredetermined thickness is of a height such that it extends above thebase sufficiently to engage said lower portion and hold said lowerportion against rotation with said bolt.
 6. A device, according to claim4, wherein said wall of predetermined thickness is such that it is lowerthan the bottom of the lower portion of said head above said base.